Panel wiring insert



Nov. 29, 1960 I. MANDE ETAL PANEL WIRING INSERT Filed Aug. 27, 1957 INVENTORS JQw/v MA/VZJE .ZDA 440 #604 United States Patent PANEL WIRING INSERT Irving Mande, Westport, Conn., and David H. Cordes, Bronx, N.Y., assignors to Edwards Company Inc., a corporation of New York Filed Aug. 27, 1957, Ser. No. 680,560

Claims. (Cl. 339-214) The present invention relates to electrical connectors or the like and comprises a novel panel wiring insert.

The new wiring insert is provided at one end with wire engaging means that insure good mechanical and electrical connection to one or more wires without the use of solder so that initial checking of circuits may be readily effected. At its other end the insert is connected by suitable means to the circuit to be controlled. The compact and efficient construction of the new insert reduces space requirements and reduces also the labor and skill required for installation.

The new wiring insert includes a metallic body portion which may be cylindrical and which for best results has a length slightly less than the thickness of the insulating panel in which the insert is to be mounted. The wire engaging means are carried by the body portion at one end thereof and comprise one or more annular grooves dimensioned for reception of the wire or wires to be permanently connected to the insert. The spacing of the annular groove from the end of the body portion and the spacing between the grooves when more than one is provided, is such that one or more annular flanges are formed which are thin enough to be readily deformed or cupped by tapping with a hammer or the like. Thus when the end of a wire is inserted tangentially in a groove, cupping of the adjacent flange about the wire end causes the wire to be gripped sufliciently firmly'to make good mechanical and electrical connection. Thus H "binding post followed by attachment of a nut or thelike is avoided by the new construction.

The panel wiring insert may be connected to a circuit or other electrical component that is to be controlled by any suitable connecting means and if desired the connecting means may also be used to assist in anchoring the insert in the panel. Any form of conventional connecting means may be employed and we have found it convenient to use a machine screw as a terminal which may be held in threaded engagement in an axial passage of the body of the insert.

For a better understanding of the invention and of the advantages thereof reference may be had to the accompanying drawings of which:

Fig. 1 is a side view of a single grooved wiring insert embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the insert of Fig. 1 showing also a sectional view of elements attachable thereto;

Fig. 3 is an end view of the insert of Fig. 1 showing the insert mounted in a panel and wires connected thereto;

Fig. 4 is a side view of the insert of Fig. 3 the panel being shown in section; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side view of a three-grooved insert shown with wires permanently connected thereto.

The particular insert illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 comprises an element 2 of brass or the like having a generally 2,952,691 Patented Nov. 29, 1960 annular flange 8. Between the groove 6 and the cylindrical body portion 4 is an enlarged section 10 which engages the rear of a panel and provides a stop when the insert is mounted. As shown in the drawings the axial length of the flange or anvil 10 is greater than the axial length of the deformable flange 8 so that the flange 10 is rigid and will not deform under the force of the blow required for deformation of flange 8 and will distribute such force over a relatively large surface area of the panel. In the preferred form of structure shown in the drawings the diameter of anvil 10 is larger than the diameter of the deformable flanges so that a tool having a hollow cylindrical end portion may be slipped over the deformable flange to bear against the relatively rigid anvil to drive the insert into a panel by impact without deforming the flange. The optimum thickness of the flange 8 depends upon the particular metal employed for the insert. in the case of brass, for example, and for small inserts, the thickness may be about & or less. The spacing of the flange from the section 10, that is the longitudinal length of the groove 6, depends upon the size of wire to be coupled to the insert. For No. 14 wire, for example, this dimension may be about In .the preferred form of invention illustrated. in the draw- Jaxial threaded passage 12 adapted to receive a machine screw or the like as indicated at 14 in Fig. 2. The cylindrical knurled body portion 4 terminates in a smooth cylindrical rim 16 of slightly lesser diameter which facilitates insertion of the knurled portion in the panel.

To mount the above described wiring insert in a wiring panel such as the insulating panel 18 of Figs. 3 and 4 the knurled portion 4 is inserted from the rear into a suitable hole in the panel and the surface of section" 10 brought into engagement with the rear surface of the panel. The back of the panel is wired by removing insulation from the end of a wire 20 which is then inserted tangentially into the groove 6. A second wire 22 may likewise be inserted into the groove 6 as shown. The flange 8 is then tapped with a hammer or other suitable impact device to cause the metal of the flange to cup about the wire or wires and thereby hold them firmly in the groove. The front of the panel is wired by threading screw 14 into the hole 12 at the front of the panel. A washer 24 is preferably provided between the head 26 of the screw and the panel. An end of a wire 28 of the circuit to be controlled may then be looped around the screw between the washer and head and held in place by tightening of the screw in the hole 12.

Washer 24 is not essential and if desired electrical components to be mounted on the front of the panel can be connected directly to the front end of the insert by use of a suitable connecting means, such as a machine screw. The screw mechanically holds the component in position and provides the electrical connection between the insert and the component.

At this stage of the installation there is suflicient mechanical and electrical connection between wires 20 and 22 and the insert to permit checking of circuit connections. After checking solder may be applied about the wires in the groove 6 to insure permanent connection of the wires to the insert. Instead of manually tapping the flange 8 to cup it about the wires 20 and 22, a spring loaded or pneumatic tool may be emgrooves being indicated at 6" and '6 and the flanges 8 and"8"bein'g shown cupped about the wires in the adjacent grooves. In Fig. '5 the 'wires are represented as having been'permanen'tly connected to the insert by 'applieat'ion of solder 30.

"It will beapparent from the foregoing description that the new panel Wiring insert has" a' number of advantages as "compared to panel inserts heretofor' in use. The

means whereby wires"'maybe gripped Without looping speeds up installation and minimizes the possibility of poor" electrical contact. able flange or flanges insures firm'mechanical connection =andreduces the amount of'manipulation required for attachment of wires. The means directly mounted'on the'fr'ont'end of the'insert for detachable connection 'to wires of the circuit to be'controlled keeps to a mini- 'mumthe number of parts involved in installation and The provision of' the deformconserves panel space.

The invention has now" been "described with respect to 'a'particular and"pref'erred'construction of the'new wiring insert. Obviously various'changes couldbe' made in the specific construction illustrated Without departing 'from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the accompanying'claims. For example, although the portion "4 of theinserfiwhich 'in'u'se lies within'a panel aperture h'asbeen illu'str'ated"as being cylindrical'and as'being -kni'1'rld, f'smooth surfaced inserts and inserts "of other cross sectional form'could' be employed. Also, although the'threaded axial passage has been shown' as terminating between the-enlarged section 10 and the cylindrical portion 4, the passage could extend entirely through the insertor could terminate at any point within it. Other conventional'connecting means may be used in place of 'screw'14 such 'as an axial stud,'a tapered pin and corresponding receptacle, etc. to those skilled in the art.

Other variations will occur The following is' claimed: I

'1. "A' panel wiring insert comprising a metallic element having an integral annular anvil positioned on the body of the elementat'oneend'portion thereof 'saidelement being adapted to be mounted in a panel with one side of the said anvil positioned against the surface of such panel, a separate integral annular flange positioned on the element in spaced relationship to the exposed second side of said anvil-to-form a groove between such flange and anvil said groove being adapted to receive a conductor therein,"thebody 'ofsaidflange being deformable 'under impact about a conductor positioned in said groove to form a mechanical and electrical connection between the conductorandelement and said annular anvil being of greater-axial length than the said deformable fiangeto providethe anvil with rigidity to wilhstand the forceof the blow'required for the deformation of the said flange without deformation of the anvil and to distribute the force of the blow over the surface of the panel, the secondend portion of saidelernent being provided"withmea'ns for connecting theins'ert to an"e'lectrical circuit.

2. A'structure 'as' specified in'clairnl which includes at least one additional deformable integral-annular flange positioned in spaced relationship on the'body' of'the said'end'portion of theelement to form a groove between said two'annularflangesadapted to receive a condu'ctor therein. 7

3. "A structure as specified in claim 1 in which" the second'end portion of the insert is positioned within the confines of the panel so that itdoesnot project out from* the exposed surface thereof.

*4. The panel wiring insert according to claim 1' where- "in said element has a" generally cylindrical portion adapt- 'ed to fit within a panel aperture and wherein said last mentionedmeans comprises an axial threaded aperture in said element open'at least at the 'end of the element remote from said "annular groove.

5. The panel "wiring insertaccording -to claim 1" where- 'in said "generally cylindrical portion is knurled.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED'STATES PATENTS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATION OF CORRECTION Patent No.0 2,962,691 November 29, 1960 Irving Mande et alu error appears in the above numbered pat- It is hereby certified that etters Patent should read as ent requiring correction and that the said L corrected below.

1 read 4 Signed and sealed this 30th day of May 1961o SEA L) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER Attesting Officer DAVID L. LADD Commissioner of Patents 

